Great Jehdan Imperium
The Great Jehdan Imperium, or Jehdan Empire as it is more commonly called, is a member state of the All Union and one of the most powerful states in the entire Universe. The Imperium traces itself to a population of humans transplanted to the planet Jehda by the Gods and experimented with giving them psychic powers. After the Gods withdrew their attention, a single warlord managed to unite the disparate tribes of the planet, eventually expanding outward to colonize or conquer the neighboring planets and star systems. This warlord declared himself Emperor, and took the name of the planet for his own founding the Imperial House of Jehda. By the time of the Eden War, the Jehdan Empire had become strong enough that they were sought as allies by the Empire of Nod and Jehdan troops took part in that siege. During the chaos which followed the Cataclysm, the Jehdan Imperium took the opportunity to expand its borders. By the time the Watchers began attempting to restore order the Jehdan Imperium was one of the most powerful forces in the Known Universe. 'Government' The Jehdan Empire is an absolute monarchy ruled from its capital planet of Jehda. Here within the Imperial Palace, the Emperor wields supreme executive power and is aided in its use by his officials. The Throne has changed hands from time to time, but is always held by a family which can claim descent back to the first Jehdan Emperor, Jehda Zarathas Xander. Zarathas Xander had dozens of wives and hundreds of concubines, resulting in the births of numerous children. While the first Zarathas dynasty was made up of his children and descendents of his first wife, later dynasties that assumed the Throne claimed descent from one of his other children or occasionally to an earlier dynasty. Several hundred years ago, the Washai family rose to prominence and seized the Throne following the collapse of the earlier Azula dynasty. The current Emperor is Jehda Washai Timon. Below the Emperor and his officials on Jehda, are the Imperial Nobles who possess a number of titles. In ascending order of hierarchy these are Baron, Viscount, Count, Marquis, and Duke. Nobles control the Empire’s numerous principalities, which are made up of a star system or sometimes multiple systems. The Noble Families rule their territories in the name of the Emperor, and despite one family ruling a principality for hundreds or thousands of years, they can be deposed or moved at the whim of the Emperor. Nobles in turn will have vassals of their own to whom they delegate the administration of their subdistricts. It is customary for the children of noble families (compulsory for boys, optional for females) to serve in the Imperial Guard. On occasion, a noble will make the Guard their career, in which case they keep their noble rank and are referred to as such, but are able to command with the authority of generals. For instance, the famous Duke Tora is one of the great heroes of the Jehdan Empire and a widely respected general. 'Military' The Imperial Guard is the military arm of the Great Jehdan Imperium. The Imperial Guard is not only a military force, it is also is the diplomatic corps which takes care of political and social matters in the Empire, as well as providing mediation services for non-allied planets or warring factions. They are also the dominant power in the known universe, as they have the largest fleet of ships, ranging from civilian transports, science and exploration vessels, and massive heavy cruisers and battleships. The Empire also maintains the largest number of bases out of any other government or organization in the Known Universe shy of SENTINEL, whether they are on planets, asteroids, or drifts in deep space. The Imperial Guard is a combined arms force which maintains a fleet of battleships and an elite corps of soldiers. At the height of its power, the Imperial Guard had over 500,000 ships ranging and billions of soldiers and officers. Uniforms in the guard are black, but over these are generally worn silver armor. A Guardsman's main weapon is the Lance, a metal rod approximately 30 centimeters in length capable of firing plasma shots which can be charged for extra damage. By pressing a button, the Lance can also be extended to almost 2 meters with a polysteel spear tip protruding from it. In this form it can be used as melee weapon to disable or spar with opponents. The Guard is extremely important to the Jehdan Empire, because it is the example of a stable, just military organization. The Imperial Guard is very well trained and equipped, and were seen as a very good, efficient, just fighting force to the rest of the galaxy, on both allied and non-allied planets. Ranks The rank in the Imperial Guard is divided between enlisted personnel and officers. Enlisted Ranks Guardsman Corporal Sergeant Master Sergeant Officer Ranks Lieutenant Captain Major Commander General 'Culture' The center of culture for the Empire is its capital planet Jehda. Jehdan naming convention places the family name first and the given name last. Metal is the foundation of Jehdan culture, and most Jehdans tend to wear clothes with grey, silver, gold and black colors. Certain Noble families will occasionally vary up these colors, but will always wear one of these. For instance, the Lovelace family will wear deep red lined with gold. The Victor family wore black and gray. Monogamous marriage is the legal standard throughout the empire, but depending on the caste the male belongs to he will be allowed a number of concubines. This number depends on his social and financial status. Children by concubines are regarded as lower than children by wives, but in the event a wife failed to provide a male heir, a Noble can name one of his male heirs by a concubine as a successor. In the event he never got around to naming a successor, the title will pass to the next eldest child in a given line. Port Joy is the seat of House Lovelace and one of the most famous Pleasure Planets in the Universe. Known for its hedonistic culture, all manners of diversion can be indulged there. Soohn is a planet within the Jehdan Empire with a population of superhumans. The planet Delta is home to a space faring culture with a proud history. Its shipyards create the vessels of the Jehdan Imperial Guard, as well as numerous other vessels for private consumers. The Rocco II, a C-564C Charger which belongs to Johnny Duke of the Magnificent 7 was built there by Colt Stardrive Company. The Purran Kingdom is a vassal state of the Jehdan Empire and its culture is heavily colored by the Jehdans. Formal clothing consists of Jehdan style robes (though cut to allow for their tails) and they use the same naming conventions and other social mores.